Choices

I find it very difficult to sit idly by and watch the people I care about make piss poor choices.  I want to scream and shake them silly until they come to their senses and realize what idiots they are being.  I'm currently practicing patience and attempting to allow them to make their own mistakes, realizing that nothing I say will make a difference at this point anyway, and sometimes people just have to learn for themselves.  I know that I have to make my own decisions and learn the hard way sometimes too and I have to let others follow their own paths as well.

This makes me realize how hard it is going to be as S gets older and begins to make her own choices.  In my heart I deeply want her to be the kind of person who has a strong mind and will and isn't easily swayed by other's opinions.  However, I just know how hard it will be to watch her fail.  I will want to protect her. I will want to save her before she falls.  But I know I can't always.  Sometimes she will have to face the consequences of her own choices and I won't love every choice she makes but I will have to make sure she knows that I love her just the same, regardless of those things.

I want to take life slow.  I know that today she has her troubles but moving quickly through them simply means that the troubles of the next stage will be here.  Day by day.  This is how you love a child and try to teach them the way.  Day by day.